Sunday service for 16 November 2025

Sunday 16 November 2025
Gourock St. John’s Church of Scotland
Service prepared by Rev. Teri Peterson
Manse: 632143 
Email: TPeterson (at) churchofscotland.org.uk
Email Charlene, Parish Assistant: CMitchell (at) churchofscotland.org.uk

Sanctuary Prelude Music (praise band)

Welcome

We Gather As God’s Family (As the Bible is brought in, we stand and sing)
A family gathered in love,
striving for justice and joy,
blessing the broken-hearted,
and sharing the hope of God’s kingdom.

Call to Worship
One: Rejoice in what God has done!
All: Already, God’s light shines in the shadows.
One: Look — abundant life is planted here!
All: We can’t see it all yet, but we keep looking.
One: Peace has been born into the world!
All: And we will make it known.

Sanctuary Hymn GWA129: Build Your Kingdom Here (praise band)

Prayer
Source of life and ground of being,
you promise and you provide.
You shine the light of peace
and we confess we shield our eyes,
uncertain we want to commit to the way you reveal before us.
You shine the light of freedom,
and we confess we turn away,
for we can’t imagine any system but the one we’ve got.
You shine the light of joy,
and we confess we flinch and retreat,
unwilling to lay our burdens down, even in your care.
Forgive us, loving God.
Forgive us for not seeing your bright light as good news,
because it is sometimes challenging news for us and our way of life.
Forgive us and teach us to trust you enough
to walk with you through the shadowed valley and toward the life you promise,
though we cannot see it yet.
We trust that you, Lord, in your zeal
not only establish your kingdom,
you uphold it,
and from your righteousness and justice
grows your beloved community.
Shine on us with joy today,
that we may in turn be people of peace and joy
in this world.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Sung Prayer — Hymn 275: Come Now, O Prince of Peace

Sanctuary Children’s Time

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 9.1-6 (Robert Alter translation)
Last week we heard from the prophet Amos, who spoke to the northern kingdom of Israel in the years before it was attacked and overrun by the Assyrian empire. Today we have moved around 30 years later to the mid-700s BCE, and to the southern kingdom of Judah. The prophet Isaiah worked in the royal court in Jerusalem during a time when neighbouring nations were bullying and attacking in an effort to force the king to join their alliance against the growing power of the empire. The advisors, the court, and the people were divided as to what the best course of action would be. Into that culture of division, uncertainty, danger, and instability, the prophet Isaiah spoke these words, in chapter 9. I am reading from Robert Alter’s translation.

The people walking in darkness
    
have seen a great light.

Those dwelling in the land of death’s shadow—
    
light has beamed on them.

You have made great the nation;
    
and heightened its joy.

They rejoiced before You
    
as the joy in the harvest,

as people exalt
when they share out the spoils.

For its burdensome yoke,
   
the rod on its shoulders,

the club of its oppressor—
    
You smashed, as on the day of Midian.

For every boot pounding loudly
    
and every cloak soaked in blood
    
is consigned to the burning,
consumed by fire.

For a child has been born to us,
    
a son has been given to us;

and leadership is on his shoulders.

And his name is called
 wondrous counsellor, divine warrior,
    
eternal father, prince of peace,
making leadership abound and peace without end

on the throne of David and over his kingdom

to make it firm-founded and stay it up
in justice and righteousness, forevermore.

The zeal of the Lord of Hosts shall do this.

For the word of God in scripture
for the word of God among us
for the word of God within us
thanks be to God.

Sermon: look harder
We have arrived at the part of the year that makes me think “we walk in darkness” most days…wake up, dark. By teatime it feels like bedtime, it’s so dark. Last week I had to get a train up to Glasgow at 5:30 one afternoon and I felt like I should be getting into my jammies instead! And on rainy days, even at noon it feels dark. Hopefully everyone is taking their vitamin D tablets!

Think how it feels on those short and dark days to see something well-lit, or to get a sunny day like today. When it first happens, when we turn the corner and see the light, or open the curtains expecting rain and see bright sun and a crisp cold morning, it can be almost blinding. That first flash of light, when it’s unexpected, can actually make it harder to see! But once we blink and adjust, it can feel amazing to finally be able to see clearly all that is around us, or to see where we’re going. Sometimes those lights even draw us in toward them, longing for the bright and cozy feel.

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light…the darkness in which the people walked was not just the rainy day that never gets light, not just the sun setting early and rising late. It was the kind of darkness that enveloped, that seeped into things, that obscured what was really going on. The kind of darkness that people use when they want to hide their activities or their motives. The kind of darkness that allows injustice to flourish because no one is able to look too closely at what’s really going on, they just let things go and assume it’s all fine even when it isn’t. The kind of darkness that unscrupulous leaders depend on…where there’s no one looking over their shoulder, no one truly questioning their actions, and no one holding up a mirror.

When light shines in that kind of darkness, the first thing to happen is usually uproar…not from the people who can now see, but from the people who have been caught out. They try to deflect, to shield themselves from scrutiny, to turn it back on the rest of us claiming we didn’t have a problem with them before so why do we now?

It’s the second thing that happen when light shines that really matters. Because often…we turn it off again. We cover our eyes. We put up a wall. We turn away. We don’t want to see what has been revealed. Not when the light shines on those big-picture high-level places, and not when it shines on the corners of our own hearts. It’s painful hard work to allow light to disinfect. And it can be scary to look around in the light and see the truth of what we’ve been living…because light itself doesn’t change the situation, it just shows it to you clearly. The obstacles become obvious, where before they were unknown. The dangers become visible, where before they were lurking. And also the things we thought were dangers and obstacles might be revealed as figments of our imagination…things we allowed to hold us back for fear of running into them when actually they didn’t exist at all.

The second thing that happened when the light shined on the people Isaiah was speaking to was that they rejoiced. They rejoiced to know that they were free, that all that bound them was broken, that there was a bright future ahead of them. They could suddenly see, once they unshielded their eyes, that they could live a brand new life, because everything they thought they knew had changed. The darkness had hidden not only injustice and corruption, not only danger and fear, but also growth and birth.

The child has been born. The kingdom of justice and righteousness has been established. The peace without end has begun. And because the light has shined, we can see it.

Except…lots of the time we look around the world and we can’t see it, actually.

So then what? The prophet spoke more than 2700 years ago and even when we read it forward to the birth of Jesus, the light, the prince of peace, that’s still 2000 years ago, and we look around the world and see so little evidence of endless peace, of enduring justice, of military equipment destroyed and good leadership abounding. Sometimes it feels like we are as much in darkness as the people of Judah who couldn’t decide which political side to take in a conflict so they just waffled until it was too late to do what was right, they were overrun and destroyed.

In talking about this problem, a friend of mine suggested that perhaps we need to look in a different way. She reminded me of all those jokes and memes about how teenagers — and sometimes husbands — can never find anything in the fridge, and then when the wife or mum opens the fridge the thing is literally right there. She said it’s true for her teenagers, they can never find anything in the fridge. But she was the one who did the shopping and put things in the fridge, so she knows it’s in there. And because she knows it’s there, she keeps moving things around until she finds it.

So then she wondered…are we like the teenagers looking at the fridge and not seeing? God said that the kingdom of justice and righteousness has been firm-founded, that the one called Prince of Peace has been born, that the endless peace of his kingdom is here. God put it here! But we open the door and glance in and then shout up the stairs “Goooooooooodddddddd!! Did you forget to get the peace and justice? I put it on the list, but it’s not in here!” Light or no light shining, we can’t seem to find it.

What if we looked for it as if we knew absolutely, 100%, that God put it in there?

I mean like we move things around to look. We take things out and put them back differently, find the stuff we should have thrown out a while ago and get rid of it so it stops making everything smell weird, and celebrate when we find it by telling everyone and showing them where to find it too. The kind of looking where we don’t give up, but we keep looking because we are certain it’s been done and we just haven’t seen it yet.

Perhaps then we too would know the joy that Isaiah says the people who have seen the great light knew. To rejoice like at the harvest — knowing that we have enough, that we will be nourished and safe for another season.
Perhaps then we too would experience the freedom of living in the kingdom of God, even now. Freedom like the smashing of the chains and bars that hold us back, tie us to old ways, force us into one direction…freedom from the fear of the other, fear of being overrun, fear of violence or loss.
Perhaps we would be able to bear into the world the name of Christ who we call wondrous counsellor, divine warrior, eternal father, prince of peace. Just as ancient names — and other indigenous names, too — are teachings and reminders, so too this child’s name is a reminder of who God is. And we, the Body of Christ, are meant to bear that reminder to the world — when people look at the child, and when they look at the Church, they should see the image of God who is wondrous counsellor, divine warrior, eternal father, prince of peace.

It isn’t impossible. It is already done! God put the reign of endless peace in the world, and we haven’t figured out how to move things around and toss old stuff out to look for it. So this winter, when things feel so very dark, let’s look for the light. Let’s commit to growing in faith enough that we aren’t teenagers glancing in the fridge and deciding it isn’t there…we can be the mature faithful ones who keep looking and who show others what we’ve found…and maybe even show others how to look, too. The light has shined — and it shines still, if only we will see it.

May it be so. Amen.

Silence for Reflection

Hymn 290: The Race That Long in Darkness Pined (St Magnus (Nottingham))

Sanctuary Offering and Response: Great God of Every Blessing (tune: Aurelia)
Great God of every blessing,
of faithful loving care,
you are the fount of goodness,
the daily bread we share.
How can we hope to thank you?
Our praise is but a start:
sincerely and completely
I offer you my heart.

Concerns of the Church
*Wednesday Bible Study
*tea towels
*Bowl & Blether tomorrow
*Contact Group Tuesday 18th with Joe Heffernan of the Royal West Boat Club
*GSCT afternoon tea concert Monday 24th 1:30
*Coffee Morning 29th
*St Andrew’s Day Ceilidh 29th
*Christmas Post — bring cards between 30 November and 14 December, 50p
*Prayer groups

Prayer and Lord’s Prayer
Everlasting Father, we thank you for you are the giver of every good gift.
Your faithfulness surpasses our understanding.
You create and sustain all things by your word,
and we long for the fullness of your promise to be tangible
even in our days.

Wonderful Counsellor — we need your counsel!
May your wisdom be clear to those in positions of power,
that they may have courage to do what is right even at cost to their own comfort,
that they might lift the weight of oppression,
set aside weapons of war,
turn away from dehumanising words and policy,
and build a world of freedom and compassion.

Mighty God, we long for a glimpse of your power —
the power of love that overcomes even the long shadow of death.
May your mighty love be louder than the hate and division that plagues us.
And in this world where love is so often in short supply, looked down upon as weak or naive,
we lift up those most in need of an infusion of divine love:
those who have been rejected or abused;
those who are lonely or isolated;
those who believe they can never be good enough;
those who are met with hostility when they step out the door;
those who have allowed fear of the other, or fear of the suffering of others, to dictate their choices.
Your perfect love casts out fear —
so we pray to be so full of your mighty love that there’s no room for things that harm.

Prince of Peace, we need you!
We pray for our neighbours whose lives are torn by violence;
for those whose homes are not safe;
and for those whose inner turmoil feels out of control.
Put an end to hate and greed that fuels enmity, war, and abuse.
Establish and uphold your reign of endless peace
from this time — our time — onward, and forever.

On the 16th day of the month we join our hearts as your St John’s family to pray:
*For all who live and work in the Hillside Road / Arran View (Weymouth Crescent) neighbourhood, and those who visit and walk around the reservoir.
*For the music ministry of St John’s: for the choir, the praise band, the organist, and all who enable our worship and prayer through music.
*For the land, people, and governments of the nations of Ethiopia, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Chad, Sudan, and Eritrea.

May we see by your light, and find your kingdom here among us already, even in our days.

We ask in the name of Jesus the Christ
who taught us to pray together:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.

Hymn: Send Us Out (praise band)

Benediction
God’s future is sure — go to look for God’s possibility alive in the world, trusting that it is there!
And as you go, may the Spirit of God go above you to watch over you. May the Spirit of God go beside you to be your companion. May the Spirit of God go before you to show you the way, and behind you to push you into places you might not go alone. And may the Spirit of God go within you, to remind you that you are loved more deeply than you can possibly imagine. May the fire of God’s love burn brightly in you, and through you into the world. Go in peace. Amen.

Sung Benediction Response (John L Bell, tune Gourock St John’s)
Now may the Lord of all be blessed,
Now may Christ’s gospel be confessed,
Now may the Spirit when we meet
Bless sanctuary and street.

Sanctuary Postlude Music (organ)

Announcements

* We worship in the sanctuary on Sundays at 11am, and Sunday worship is also online. If you are able, please enter by the front door in Bath street, and only those who need step-free access should use the back door. If you feel unwell, please worship online, to protect both yourself and others in our community.

* The first Sunday of the month at 11am is an all-age service, with different ways of encountering God’s word without a traditional sermon. All people — young and old, different personalities and learning styles, are welcome! You’ll find a more informal service with a variety of music, a Bible story, prayer, and some more interactive elements. The online service for the first Sunday will therefore also be different — there will still be a reading, prayers, and music, but usually not a sermon.

* The choir rehearses after the service, at the front of the sanctuary.

* Each week we have a beautiful flower arrangement in the sanctuary thanks to Elsie and her team, and those flowers are then delivered to someone as a message of beauty and care from the church family. The flower fund is running low, so if you are willing and able to donate to keep this beautiful ministry going, please mark your special donations for the flower fund. thank you!

* Starter Packs are in need of Shaving Foam, Shampoo, Soap, Hand Wash. Also in preparation for Christmas they are collecting hats, scarves and gloves for children and adults, selection boxes, chocolates and biscuits.
The FoodBank are short of everything except pasta, so anything you can donate will be gratefully received!
You can bring donations to the church and place them into the boxes in the vestibule. Thank you!

* Bowl & Blether is on the first and third Mondays through the winter, with doors open from 11:30-1:30, and lunch served from noon. All are welcome for a bowl of soup, a toastie, a friendly chat in our warm hall! See you TOMORROW the 17th!

* The Contact Group has a great array of interesting talks arranged for alternate Tuesdays at 2pm. The next meeting is THIS Tuesday the 18th, when we will hear from Joe Heffernan of the Royal West Boat Club. Our syllabus of events is available from Fiona Webster or Anne Armour. The syllabus donation of £5 will go towards our charity fundraising.

* The Gourock Schools and Churches Together community concert afternoon tea will be on Monday 24 November at 1:30pm at St Columba’s High School. We have free tickets available, speak to Teri or Anne Love to get yours!

* We are again having a St Andrew’s Day family ceilidh on Saturday 29 November! Doors open at 12:30 and dancing starts at 1pm. We are excited to have Canned Haggis back leading the music and dancing! All are welcome.
The 29th is a full day as there’s a coffee morning that day as well! 10:30-12:30 in the Large Hall, with some stalls and home baking, come along and enjoy — entry is just £3.

* Our Youth Organisations will again be delivering your Christmas post — bring your cards between 30 November and 14 December, and get them delivered around Gourock and the west end of Greenock for just 50p per card! All proceeds go to support youth work in St John’s.

* Did you know that the ministry we do at St John’s costs about £3000 per week and we are currently running about £500 short? Everything we do is funded by your generous giving — all our support for young people, older people, bereavement care, community outreach, worship, study, spiritual growth, and community work is because of your offering. If you would like to set up a standing order in order to facilitate your spiritual discipline of giving, or if you would like to make an extra gift to support the ministry St. John’s does in our parish, you can give online by clicking here. If you would like to set up a standing order, please contact Teri and she can give you the treasurer’s details. You can also send your envelopes to the church or the manse by post and we will ensure they are received. 
It is also possible to donate to the work of the parish assistant, speak to Anne Love about how to go about directing new donations to that item in the budget.

* Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Youtube, and to sign up for our email newsletter! Midweek you can watch Wine and the Word on Youtube, pray with video devotions on Facebook, and consider a new angle on something with a devotional email. 

* Wednesday Evening Bible Study is at 7:30pm in the Manse and we are reading Luke!

* Free period products are available in the church toilets for anyone who might need them, thanks to Hey Girls and Inverclyde Council.

* Have you taken home tea towels to wash, but not brought them back yet? Please do bring them back and pop them into the cupboard to the right of the hob…we really need them because Bowl & Blether involves a LOT of washing up! Thank you!